“Looking for this?” The man held the buzzer up. Cough. “Everything is fine, if you do as I say. If not, your girlfriend dies.”

Julian wrote frantically.

WHAT? WHY?

“That’s how I make sure you follow instructions.” Cough.

Julian looked left. The door was closed. The old man in the next bed was still. The light above Julian went off.

“The staff is occupied.” A hand came over Julian’s mouth and knuckles dug into his broken ribs.

Excruciating pain—if he could have opened his mouth, he’d have screamed.

“It’s amazing how little pressure is needed once you find the right spot.”

Julian had tears in his eyes, but the wires held his mouth shut. This had to be a mistake.

“What?” The man finally removed his hand and stifled a cough. “Something you’re trying to say?”

Julian grunted.

“Doesn’t the pain make my point?” The man offered him the whiteboard. “You will not remember what happened the night of the accident. Understand?”

Julian didn’t understand, not at all.

About Rich Silvers

Rich Silvers is an author of crisp psychological suspense. He left a career in finance to pursue his lifelong dream to write books. Born in the Bronx, Rich currently lives in Westchester County, New York, with his wife, Cathy, and their pet parrot, DJ. Rich's roots in the world of books actually predate him, as his parents met in a book bindery.